Levetiracetam is an antiepileptic drug indicated as adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy. The chemical name for levetiracetam, a single enantiomer, is (S)-α-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide.
British Pat. No. 1,309,692 describes the compound α-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineactamide (melting point 122 degrees C.) and states that compounds of this type can be used for therapeutic purposes, for example for the treatment of motion sickness, hyperkinesia, hypertonia and epilepsy.
Moreover, it also mentions that these compounds can be applied in the field of memory disorders in normal or pathological conditions.
It is also known that α-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide possesses a protective activity against aggressions of the central nervous system caused by hypoxias, cerebral ischemia, etc. (Pharmazie, 37/11, (1982), 753–765).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,943 discloses the levorotatory isomer of α-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide, which has the absolute S configuration, a method for making the isomer and pharmaceutical compositions containing the same. U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,943 discloses that the levorotatory isomer has a 10 times higher protective activity against hypoxia and a 4 times higher protective activity against ischemia compared to the known racemic form.